June 13, 2009

6-13-09--Post Written by Eli

This is one small step for graduate student, one giant leap for? Anyways, Greetings once again. We have arrived at the Unalaska Airport (without some of our luggage, which we were reunited with later in the day). The small commuter planes that travel from Anchorage have strict weight limits resulting in luggage often being shipped with later flights. Considering that our flight had to leave 1000 lbs behind, it's amazing that the airport is not infinitely back logged with luggage that has piled up. During our approach we could see dozens of porpoises from the plane coming up for air and diving back down (small spots in the water, not quite visible in aerial picture). When we got off the plane Rachel spotted some of her friends from previous cruises. She jumped for joy and hugged her shipmates enthusiastically. This illustrated to me the level of camaraderie people build while working together at sea.

In the airport there was a sign that reads "Welcome to Unalaska, International Port of Dutch Harbor, #1 Fishing Port in the Nation." Dutch Harbor and the Bering Sea have been made famous by the TV show 'The Deadliest Catch' which documents the challenges that Crab Fisherman encounter on the Bering Sea (extreme weather and high death rates). The productive fisheries make this a lucrative line of work for those who are willing to brave the conditions. The few grocery and supply stores in the area are heavily stocked with high volume food quantities and all weather gear to prepare fisherman for long trips and dire circumstances. Think Costco and Home Depot for the ocean.

The landscape is absolutely breathtaking. We are surrounded by green slopes, sheer rock walls, and snow-capped mountains that rise up directly out of the water. Kevin, one of my best friends since childhood, told me that the majesty of the Alaskan terrain is like the Northwest on steroids. I finally understand what he was talking about. We will be continuing the BEST (Bering Sea Ecosystem Study) operation on the Knorr, a Woods Whole Oceanographic Institute vessel. I have heard that this ship is much smaller than the previous BEST ship (the Healy), which is a bit of a relief for me so that I don't get lost multiple times a day. However, because of the smaller size the Knorr is sure to rock a bit more than its larger, more stable counterpart. I have been advised that lab work (we'll be removing a lot of krill eyes, very small, for analysis) is much trickier when you are swaying back and forth.

Next to the entrance of the ship's library I found a print of a painting depicting "The Maiden Voyage of the Titanic," with a signature that congratulated the crew on a job well done. I figured this was intended to be an ironic gift after the maiden voyage of the Knorr. It turns out, a crew member informed me, that this was the ship from which the Titanic's resting place at the bottom of the Atlantic was discovered in the mid 1980s. Since the Knorr has had many successful voyages since then I didn't take this to be a bad omen (plus there shouldn't be any icebergs where we will be traveling in the Bering Sea at this time of year). The anticipation builds for our departure from Dutch Harbor to open water!

-Eli